Contact device for electric-clock systems



' Jan. 22,, 1929.

H. SCHNURRENBERGER OONTAC'I'DEVIGE FOR ELECTRIC CLOCK SYS'IBIS Filed Oct. 27, 1925 dun. m I I 7/ Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

1,699,547 ICE.

OR TO LANDIS & GYR,

T STOCK COMPANY OF SWITZERLAND.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC-CLOCK SYSTEMS.

Application filed October 27, 1925, Serial No. 65,065, and in Switzerland October 28, 1924.

The invention relates to electrical circuit controlling devices, and more especially to such devices applicable to clocks and time measuring devices to capacitate them as master clocks or controlling devices or controlling instrumentalities for secondary clocks and other controlled devices.

' Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice wit-h the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constitutinga part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation o embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at Fig. 1 from the left; I v

Fig. 3 is a top plan of said mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a di er detailof the circuit making and breaking, and polarity changing devices of Fig. 3;

The invention is directed primarily to providin "a mechanism capacitated to be attache to clock mechanisms of usual or standard forms, to cooperate therewith, and whereby such clock mechanisms are transformed into master c'l cks, for one or more secondary clocks. The invention further provides mechanisms of the general kind described f a mechanism capacitated for similar master control of signal systems and the like. The invention, broadly considered, is susceptible of embodiment in 'a'pluralitv of agrammatic showing in greatforms for eifectuating' 'the functions de-' to a shaft in the clock trolled electrical circuit is mechanism. The conthus governed to control the secondary clocks. or like mechanisms or devices.

ore particularly, i emb contacts, a brake riodioally or sequentially pr driving gear.

bail by the driving odiment, a toothed d a pinion on a shaft which Through the lifting of this gear, which is constant speed, the release of the or detent from the stationary pin permitting the shaftt moving at a brake-wing is effected.

0 turn and the contacts to make the circuit. The making of circuits 18 only momentary, of the bail or swing,

its original position, and is again prevented from turning by the ing on the stationary but arenot restricti Ref of the of forms the axle of this toothed 4, which permits the c of a too wheel 3 is due to the falling back 1e shaft is returned to brakewing again restp 1n. The contacts are ve thereof. erring now in detail invention, illustrated herewith by way example, a bracket 1 carries a shaft 2 which to the embodiment thed wheel 3. The hub provided with a slot oupling of same with a shaft 0 an existingmovement, which can be,

for example, the hour aft 2 carries pairsof contacts excent-rically arrange each single contact of each pair is placed on opposite oval hole 8 of the bra furthermore Upon this shaft 6, within there are placed, in this case, four 7 are all axle of a clock.

a bail 5, which ese contacts 7 are d on the shaft 6 and position to the other. electrically insulated from the shaft 6, in any able manner. of the bail 5, the shaft 6 reaches through an cket 1, and carries at its Outside end a pinion 9, which pinion engages with the toothed wheel 3. ,6, also outside of the The other end of shaft bail 5, carries a twoof which armed brakewing 10, either arm 11. The

-ment, for which purpose the plate 16 with hole is provided. The connection is made bv fitting one clock into the slotted hub of the toothed gear 3, providing at the same time a pin on the hour axle which efiects the coupling of the toothed gear 3 with the hour axle of the clock by catching into the groove 4.

. The running of the clock effects the constant turning of the toothed gear 3, through which it also tends to turn the shaft 6. This is prevented, however,

through the brake- 10, which has one of 1ts arms resting wing ' on the stationary pin 11, and shaft 6' is consequently lifted with bail 5. This causes the sliding of the arm of brakewing 10 on pin 11 until it is released from the pin, at which moment the bail 5 will fall back to its previou's'position through medium of the toothed gear 9 which is engaged with the toothed gear 3, and which actuates at that same moment the turning of the shaft 6.- After half a turn this slipping back of bail 5, and consequent rotation ofshaft 6, is arrested by the second arm of brakewing 10 which now has come to rest onpin 11. Through this operation circuit is made through the contacts 7 1 are two sets of contacts and 14 which touched each other for a moment, so that from the battery a momentary flow of current was sent to the secondary clocks. It will be clear that by reason of the two-armed member 10, shaft 6 makes a half revolutionfor each release of arm 10. There on'shaft 6, four of which 7, 7, 7,- 7 cooperate with contacts 14, 14, 14 and l4 -on one half revolution of the shaft, and the other four of which, 727,

7 7 cooperate with the contacts 14, 14, 14 and 14 on the next succeeding half revolution of shaft'6 when it is again rel-eased by the clock mechanism.

As described before, two of the contacts 14 are connected to a battery, or other power source 13, and the two others to a secondary mechanism S to be controlled. In the pres ent example, contacts 14 and 14 sidered as connected to the secondary mechanism, contact 14 tothe side of the battery, and Contact 14 to the side of the battery. connected as follows :7 to 7 and 7 to 7 The block end of the hour axle of the Thus there is effected a may be con- The contact points 7 are then inter-V and 7 b to 7 and 7 to 7. At the first half revolution of shaft 6, contact is made etween 14, 14, 14 and 14, and 7, 7, 7 and 7 respectively, and the flow of current is effected through 14 to7 to 7 to- 14 and to the secondary mechanism, and then through 14 to 7 and 7 and thence to 14 and back to the side of the battery. At the secondhalf revolution of shaft 6, contact is made between 14 14", 14 and 14 and 7", 7, 7 respectively, and the flow of current is effected from the battery through 14, 7 to 7 to 14, through the secondary mechanism, and then to 14 to 7 to 7 to 14 and to the side of the battery. The contacts 7 are connected in a way that a change of polarity is effected at every making of circuit in the system of the secondary clocks, namely, considering first contacts 7 7 7 and '7 the current flow through the secondary clocks, or corresponding devices would be from 14 ,to 14 and thence to the negative side of the battery. When, however, the mechanism is in the other position, and contact is made through- 7", 7 7 and 7*, then the current flow is from 14" to 14, through the secondary clocks, or other devices, to 14*, to 14 and thence to the negative side of the battery.

change of polarity in the secondary clocks or other devices. 7 v

The ratio of the wheels 3 and 9 is such that a release of the brakewing 10 is effected every minute.

Due to the carries the weight of the bail 5 and the parts attached thereto during the entiretime between the making of circuit, there is obtained a practical constant load on the clockwork by this contact device, clock is not disadvantageously afiected by this installation.

The construction of this contact device as a unit makes it possible to install the same without difliculty in an existing clock, and. to transform the clock therewith into a master clock for a system of secondary clocks.

Besides beingused for the operation of secondary clocks this invention could also be periodic or sequential fact that the driving wheel 3 sothat' the running of the 1 employed for other purposes; it couldbe used,

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made'therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and withoutsacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is: V r

1. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a driving wheel having a shaft, a control shaft provided with contacts and mounted in a swingable support, pivotally supported on said Wheel shaft, said control shaft being connectable to a shaft in a clock mechanism, and a detent therefor controllable by the clock mechanism.

2. An electric current controlling device including in combination a member actuated and periodically released by a time-measuring mechanism, a circuit having contact terminals and controlling a secondary mechanism, and means operated by the release of said actuated and periodically released memr for momentarily closing the circuit at said terminals.

3. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a member periodically released by a time-measuring mechanism, a circuit having contact terminals and controlling a secondary mechanism, and means operated by said periodically releasedmemer for momentarily closing the circuit at said terminals.

4. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a member controlled in time by a time-measuring mechanism, a circuit controlling a secondary mechanism, and means operated by said time-controlled member for controlling and reversing the polarity of said circuit.

5. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a member periodically released by a time-measuring mechanism, a circuit having contact terminals and controlling a secondary mechanism, and means operated by said periodically released member for momentarily closing the circuit at Said terminals and changing its polarity.

6. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a driving wheel having a shaft, a control shaft and circuit contacts governed thereby, means for operating the control shaft and a release device therefor operated from said driving Wheel.

7. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a plurality of line circuit terminals, a plurality of sets of terminal closing devices, and time controlled means for causing said sets of closing devices to successively close the plurality of terminals.

8. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination a plurality of line circuit terminals, a plurality of sets of ter minal closing devices, polarity changing connections therefor, and time controlled means for causing said sets of closing devices to suecessively close the plurality of terminals to reverse the current in the circuit.

9. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination more than two terminals in a line circuit, more than one circuit closing device cooperating successively with each of said terminals, and time-measuring means for controlling the successive operation of said circuit closing devices.

10. An electric circuit controlling device including in combination more than two terminals in a line circuit, more than one circuit closing device cooperating successively with each of said terminals, polarity changing connections therefor, and time-measuring means for controlling the successive operation of said circuit closing devices to reverse the current in the circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HEINRICH SCHN URREN BERGER. 

